Another Port of call, Panama Canal

So another in my short series of Port reviews, and as we are currently in the 'Caribbean Season' I thought it would be worth looking at the Panama Canal - this is one of the Man Made Wonders of the world, and a place that many of my customers want to visit.

Why not read my Port review of Santorini, click here.

In 1914 the Panama Canal joined the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, changing international trade forever. The 50 mile-long pathway through the Isthmus of Panama created a significant shortcut for ships that previously had to make the perilous journey around the southern tip of South America.

 

So lets have a few facts first-

1. The United States uses the canal the most, followed by China, Japan, Chile and North Korea.
2. Early planners of the canal wisely thought ahead, anticipating that the width of cargo ships would probably increase in the future. However, modern-day cargo ship widths in general are now exceeding that so-called “Panamax” benchmark, thus there are strict limits on which ships can fit through the locks. An expansion to double the waterway’s capacity is set to be completed in 2014.
3. The Canal transports 4 percent of world trade and 16 percent of total U.S.-borne trade.
4. In 1928 American adventurer Richard Halliburton swam the length of the Panama Canal. All vessels crossing the canal must pay a toll based on their weight, and Halliburton was no different. His rate? A whopping 36 cents.
5. More than 60 million pounds of dynamite was used to excavate and construct the canal.
6. The fastest transit was completed in 2 hours 41 minutes by the U.S. Navy’s Hydrofoil Pegasus in 1979.
7. In 1963 florescent lighting was installed, allowing the canal to begin operating 24 hours a day.
8. Nearly 20,000 French and 6,000 American workers died during the completion of the Panama Canal.
9. Between 12,000 and 15,000 ships cross the Panama Canal every year – about 40 a day.
10. In 2008, a Disney cruise ship paid the highest toll to date, $330,000.

So how can you get there by cruise ship, well you will find that Princess Cruises and Holland America do have ships that do a full transit, starting in Florida and going to California or visa versa. They also do part transits, with the ship entering, usually on the Caribbean side, doing some scenic cruising and then exiting back to the Caribbean.

Celebrity Cruises have a couple of repositioning cruises that transit the canal, and do stop in Colon Panama on some Equinox sailings so that you can do an excursion and come back through the canal on a small pleasure boat.

There are a number of options here, why not come back at the end of February and look at my photos from my trip there next month.

Independence of the Seas, did I forget her?

Over the last few weeks I have been doing that maintenance on my blog that you keep putting off! You will see some changes on the page 'Ships I have been on' and I have added a new page 'StuPendous Cruise Deals'.

But I noticed that I have not put up any information about Royal Caribbean's  Independence of the Seas, even though I did a ship visit back in 2009!

Indie on a damp October morning

Independence of the Seas is a Freedom-class ship and entered service in April 2008, there are 15 passenger decks and she can accommodate 4,370 passengers who are looked after by 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, builder and at 154,407 gross tons, she joined Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels ever built at the time. She is 1,112 feet (339 m) long, and typically cruises at 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph).

Independence of the Seas is the third of the Freedom-class vessel. In October 2009, Oasis of the Seas, the first ship in the Oasis-class replaced the Freedom-class as the world's largest passenger ships.

Independence will be sailing from Southampton throughout this summer, but will cruise from Southampton on November 22, 2012, en route to its Winter home port in Fort Lauderdale, where it will offer Caribbean voyages from December 2012 through March 2013, she will return to the U.K. in April.

Independence of the Seas features an interactive water park, the H2O Zone, a dedicated sports pool for volleyball and basketball, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides. It houses an internal shopping 'street', the Promenade lined with shops, pubs and wine bars, with a "bridge" which can be lowered from the ceiling void to provide a performance space above the crowds. There is also the two story Alhambra theatre, seating 1,200, and a complete conference centre. The show cabaret lounge is based on an ancient Egyptian theme, known as the Pyramid Lounge.

On a lower level is an ice skating rink named Studio B, home to a series of professional ice shows, and is also available for personal skating. This facility was first featured on the Voyager-class and the rink on Independence of the Seas is the eighth to feature this on a ship.

The ship also features a range of eating outlets, a rock climbing wall, wi-Fi and mobile phone connectivity throughout, and flat screen televisions in all staterooms. Independence of the Seas is also the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature heated, fresh water pools. On the Sports Deck, there is a rock climbing wall, a basketball/hockey court, a mini golf course, and a FlowRider for surfing. 

The features are amazing and I am not surprised that most of the people who sail on her love it! For me, the Morgan car in the Royal Parade is just that little extra, it helps that I had one for a short period a few years ago!

Why not look at the photo slide show below for more views of the ship.

Keeping in touch - Celebrity iLounge

I am off on Celebrity Equinox in a few weeks and in my desire to keep in touch, and of course check my work emails!

Having previously about iPad technology, although on Royal rather than Celebrity, see my post by clicking here , I have found some really useful information about WiFi on Celebrity Cruises.

Most ships have some Internet or WiFi availability, either in an Internet Cafe or through WiFi hotspots throughout the ship, and if you need to keep in touch check with me before you book. With Celebrity on the Solstice class ships WiFi is available through out the ship and there is also the Celebrity iLounge, with Apple computers.

You will have to purchase an Internet Package, and prices vary from $0.75 per minute without a package to $0.48 per minute for 200 minutes; if you are addicted you can get 27 hrs worth of time at $0.24 per minute! Now that's far too long for me!

If you are at Elite level in Captains Club you will get some free time, but you have to purchase a package before you can get the benefits, but like all lines full details will be available on board.

So you buy your package and get your instructions on how to sign on and more importantly sign off so you don't waste your minutes, so what are those frequently asked questions and answers?


Is the internet connection high-speed?
•    Connection speed onboard is not as fast as the connection you have at home.  Intermittent satellite connection may be experienced occasionally depending on the ships location, weather conditions, and/or number of users. It would be best to log out or shut down your computer as charges will continue while online.

Will I be able to use VPN or VOIP (Voice-Over IP) applications like Skype on my laptop or on your computer?
•    These applications have been blocked to make effective use of bandwidth in order to provide our guests with the best possible internet speed that our satellite can provide.

Can I connect to the internet from my stateroom?
•    Yes, the Celebrity Eclipse has wireless access points throughout the entire ship.  Create a wireless account in the Celebrity iLounge.

How much does it cost if I use my own laptop?
•    Using your laptop or our computer to log on is the same price.

Am I able to print?
•    Yes, on the top menu of the screen, click “File” then “Print”.

Can I buy another package before my current package runs out?
•    No, the current package must be completed before another package can be purchased.  Once you have completed a package, you will be prompted to purchase another one the next time you log in.

If I run out of minutes while I’m surfing the net, will I get cut off?
•    No, you will continue to be charged at the discounted rate until you log off.  You can purchase a new package the next time you log in.

How do I find out how many minutes I have left?
•    Once you have logged in successfully, a screen will appear displaying the amount in dollars that you have remaining.
•    Or ask any of our Celebrity iLounge staff.

Can I plug in my camera, iPod, or USB stick into the computer?
•    Yes, you can plug in your device into the MacBooks.  Please come during our staffed hours for assistance.

So, the answer is you can keep in touch but don't expect Broadband connection speeds as everything is routed through the ships satellite connection and you are not going to be able to use Skype to phone home for free, so just try to find a free WiFi hotspot when you are in port or follow the crew, they tend to know where they are!

At least I know now that I will be able to use my iPhone on WiFi while I am away, and I hope this helps! The information is generally the same for most of the other Cruise Lines, but if you have a specific question give me a ring and I will help out as best I can.

World Cruises - what's so special?

It's that time of year ago, and people who were once dreaming of doing that World Cruise have just or will very soon be embarking on the ship of their choice; while the rest of us just sit back and think about the possibility. So what do you have to consider to join those already following in the footsteps of that most famous of circumnavigators, Phileas Fogg, and sailing around the world in 80 days.
If you take the leap and 'Go all the way round' you can be away for a period ranging from 90 to 120 days, calling at up to 41 ports in 24 countries (Arcadia 2012). This begs a couple of questions, who can take the time needed and how many consecutive sea days are there?

Well, the answer to the first may be partly obvious, sitting mostly in the sector of the retired although families with tots and teens do make an occasional appearance.

As for the second question, this is a little more circumspect. The cruise may be going to a number of exotic sounding ports, but how long will it take to get from Papeete, Tahiti to Honolulu, Hawaii, or Barbados to Madeira?

I don't mind my sea days, a great time to relax but if you don't and you get bored easily a World Cruise may not be the choice for you.

Then what about the food and clothes! I know the sailings usually start in Southampton; but I can go up a trouser size on a 2 week cruise, would I have the strength and space in the cabin to take the extra clothes needed? The Gym must be one of the most popular places on such a long cruise.
 
So for me getting to see those diverse and different places is special, I can't afford the time or want to be away for a full World cruise so the idea of a Sector would seem to give me the best option and i am not that worried about getting to know people who have travelled together for a few weeks already. Unless of course my 6 numbers come up on Wednesday then 2013 here I come!


So having undertaken some research on P&O's website, they have a list of 5 reasons to take a World Cruise; Discovery, Enrichment, Comfort, Celebration and Value, but is a world cruise the only way to experience these?

Well, I think the answer is not really as you can now get a 'Sector' or part of the World Cruise, these can be anything from two weeks to a month or more and are a great way to get that world cruise experience, to fit in with your budget or time constraints.

The options on sectors aren't endless, but you can do The Far East, Australia or even from Capetown back to Southampton, but the drawback here comes with the need to fly, if only one way, due to the airline weight limitations.



So arriving part way through a long cruise gives you the 5 reasons from above, but you then join a cruise which may be like a bit like meeting the neighbours for the first time, as they have had time to build friendships over the part of the cruise you have already missed!

For me then the idea of taking a shorter cruise to see some of these more exotic places would suit my requirements, I don't have the time to spend 3 months away in one go and the fact that others may already have built up friendships wouldn't overly concern me. So am I activley looking, well when I find something that appeals to my sense of travel then I will give it a look, unless my numbers come up on Wednesday!

What's in a name, part 2. Or would this be better in RED?

If you have read my blog before your will have seen a previous article 'What's in a name', but that made me think about ships names and whether they change.

Would this be better in RED?

Got you thinking now, so read on....

My article was about the way some companies change the name of their products after launch to match their requirements and wondered whether the cruise lines did the same. Well, the easy answer is yes and not always after launch.

So one for the memory, Renaissance Cruises a company which folded some time ago and where are their 8 ships now? Well, 2 are with Azamara Club Cruises and 3 are with Oceania Cruises and have all been renamed, no surprise there you say if a ship moves from one line to another the name will change.

But what about the other 3, well they all went to Princess Cruises and were named Tahitian, Royal and Pacific Princess. However now, Royal Princess is P&O's Adonia and to suit the type of cruise that the ship does Tahitian Princess has become the Ocean Princess; but there was an Ocean Princess now P&O Oceana!

Gets more complicated with Sea Princess, which was launched as this in 1998 but in 2003 transferred to P&O and named Adonia, but transferring back to Princess in 2005 becoming again Sea Princess. All because of movements of ships to Ocean Village and waiting for the delivery of Arcadia in 2005.

What about the strange case of Diamond and Sapphire Princess, or is it Sapphire and Diamond Princess? 

With the Diamond Princess, the ship's hull was originally due to be called the Sapphire Princess, however during construction a huge fire swept through the ships deck during construction. Because the ship's completion would be delayed for some time, her sister ship, Diamond Princess,  which was being constructed at the same time assumed the role of the Sapphire. This name swap helped to keep the delivery date of the Sapphire on time, while delaying the delivery of the Diamond....... Follow that if you can!

So why the picture above, if you have not yet guessed it is P&O Arcadia. When the keel was originally laid she was due to be Queen Victoria but close to launch was transferred to P&O as Arcadia, so she has a funnel which is more Cunard like than P&O like.

So the answer to the question of 'What's in a name', is nothing in reality as ships are transferred or have name changes based on the capacity needs of the cruise lines, so we shouldn't really get attached should we?

And would that funnel look better in Red, having sailed on both ships I do think that Carnival have got it right with both ships now having the correct corporate feel to them.

Which is my favourite, well out of the 2 it has to be Queen Victoria.